Support life-changing advocacy for 400 foster youth in Riverside County with Voices For Children and Focusing Philanthropy

As always, Focusing Philanthropy covers all overhead costs. 100% of every donation will go to the 2019 Fostering Growth Campaign.

THE NEED

In its current state, the foster care system simply cannot provide the individual attention vulnerable children deserve. Social workers carry an average caseload of 45 cases, attorneys represent as many as 250 children, and Juvenile Court Judges hear up to 1,000 cases each year. Without appropriate advocacy services and consistent mentorship, foster youth are at risk of experiencing terrible outcomes.

Unlike other foster care professionals, citizen volunteers recruited and trained by Voices For Children (VCF) are matched with a single child or sibling group. These Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) help restore safety and stability to the lives of foster children by advocating for them in Court, the classroom, and the community.

In 2015, the State of California Judicial Council asked VCF to assume responsibility for the then-closed CASA program in Riverside County. The VFC Riverside program launched later that year and grew rapidly. However, despite the program’s early success, there are still children in Riverside County waiting to be matched with CASA volunteers today.

THE GOAL

Focusing Philanthropy and Voices For Children are launching a campaign to raise $300,000 to catalyze the growth of the Riverside County CASA program and support life-changing advocacy for 400 local foster youth 2019.

For nearly 30 years, VFC has operated the San Diego County CASA Program, which has become one of the top three largest and most successful CASA programs out of ~1,000 in the country. Focusing Philanthropy has partnered with VFC since 2014 in support of its vision to serve every child in San Diego’s foster care system, a goal that has been reached and maintained. Now, VCF and Focusing Philanthropy will work together towards sustainable growth in Riverside.

The “Fostering Growth” campaign will support three elements key to serving more foster youth in Riverside County: raising awareness about the vital need for a CASA program, recruiting appropriate and committed volunteers, and implementing innovative retention strategies to ensure the continuity of relationships children have with their CASAs. VCF aims to serve 400 Riverside foster youth in fiscal year 2019 and 500 in 2020.

THE GIVING MATCH

From January 4 to November 15, 2019, every $1 raised by Focusing Philanthropy will be matched with $2 raised by Voices For Children, until the campaign goal of $300,000 is reached.

To qualify for the match, donations must be directed to Focusing Philanthropy and a minimum of $500. Donations are fully tax deductible and 100% of funds contributed will go to the “Fostering Growth” Riverside County campaign. All Focusing Philanthropy costs are covered by its founders.